World

Trump contradicts Marco Rubio and Mike Johnson: 'I might have forced their hand'

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Israel did not pressure the United States to launch strikes against Iran.

Trump was meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and speaking about the conflict with Iran at the White House when he took questions from reporters inside the Oval Office. He claimed that Iran's navy, air force and radar technology had been "knocked out."

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Analyst warns Trump faces 'very hard' hurdle in Iran as 'more extreme' leader lies waiting

An analyst revealed the difficult challenge ahead for President Donald Trump as the war in Iran now enters its fourth day.

In an interview on MS NOW's Morning Joe with David Ignatius, columnist and associate editor of The Washington Post, and Shashank Joshi, defense editor at The Economist, Joshi discussed the Trump administration's mixed messaging about objectives for the military strikes in Iran, including regime change, then "imminent threats" from Iran against Israel and the push to stop Iran from developing ballistic missiles.

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Iran peace talks a 'smokescreen' as decision to strike had already been made: analysis

Peace talks between the United States and Iran may have been a smokescreen as a decision to strike had already been made, an analyst has claimed.

Bill Press, the former California Democratic Party chair, believes Donald Trump's administration already knew a strike on Iran would be made while also hosting peace talks with representatives. In a column for The Hill, Press claimed a decision could have been made as early as before Trump delivered his State of the Union address.

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'I was stunned': Ex-CIA senior official left 'speechless' by Marco Rubio's 'stupid' move

A former senior intelligence service official said on Tuesday that Marco Rubio's latest comments about the Iran war left him and other observers "speechless."

Rubio raised eyebrows with his comment on the Iran war, which largely pointed to Israel as the chief reason for the US involvement.

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Insider admits Iran is distraction Trump needed from big failed campaign promise

The recent US strikes on Iran proved to be a successful distraction from peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, a European diplomat believes.

The unnamed insider claimed Donald Trump's recent shift in focus to war with Iran is a distraction from his failings in Eastern Europe, particularly in brokering peace between Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Ukraine and Vladimir Putin's Russia. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, entered peace talks held by the US last year, but a proposed peace deal has cooled off in recent months.

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Rubio under fire over 'insane' 'imminent threat' remark on Iran: 'Dishonest as hell'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio's claims that the U.S. was under an "imminent threat" prompting American military strikes in Iran came into question Monday.

Rubio told reporters the Iranian military was growing its nuclear weapons program and planning to launch attacks against America, its assets in the Middle East, and its allies in the region — namely Israel. In the days since, Rubio said Iran has attacked civilian areas in the Middle East in retaliatory strikes since the attacks started Saturday.

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National security expert slaps down Rubio's 'implausible rationale' on Iran bombing

A historian and national security specialist was skeptical Monday of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's first public comments defending the Trump administration's decision to launch strikes against Iran.

CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen expressed doubt about Rubio's argument of an "imminent threat" and what could happen next in the war with Iran, which has left six American service members dead.

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Dem ignites firestorm within his own party over Iran remarks: 'You sure did fool us'

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said he was "baffled" Monday that his Senate colleagues weren't supporting President Donald Trump's decision to begin military strikes in Iran — and Democrats were furious at his comments.

The Pennsylvania Democrat's loyalty has increasingly been called into question as he has shown he was breaking with Democrats over the war in Iran, Politico reported.

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US death toll rises in Iran operation

The United States Central Command announced that the death toll of service members in Operation Epic Fury had risen to six as of Monday afternoon.

"As of 4 pm ET, March 2, six U.S. service members have been killed in action. U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran's initial attacks in the region," CENTCOM said in a statement. "Major combat operations continue. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification."

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Rubio claims US faced 'imminent threat' that forced Iran bombing campaign

Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued Monday that the U.S. faced a significant and "imminent threat" that prompted strikes in Iran.

Reporters asked Rubio in Washington, D.C., whether Congress was notified about the national security threats, and Rubio said he told the "gang of eight" leaders that strikes were coming.

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Melania talks children at UN after Trump strikes Iranian school: 'Peace will be yours'

First lady Melania Trump told the United Nations that she hoped the children of the world could experience "peace" just days after her husband, the president of the United States, was said to have bombed an Iranian girls' school because of outdated maps.

While presiding over the UN Security Council on Monday, Melania Trump made a statement in her "capacity as first lady of the United States."

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Mockery as Trump glitches during Medal of Honor ceremony: 'Brain is plaque and grease'

People had sharp reactions Monday after President Donald Trump dropped a confusing remark during a Medal of Honor speech in Washington, D.C.

Trump spoke during the ceremony — his first time speaking live publicly since the U.S. and Israel initiated military strikes in Iran — amid growing questions about the conflict and his health.

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White House likely to ignore Americans’ views on Iran despite clear polling: NYT reporter

The Trump administration was expected to move forward with continued strikes in Iran regardless of how Americans feel about it, a New York Times reporter said Monday.

In his first comments since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran this weekend, President Donald Trump signaled Monday that the campaign was progressing, said Tyler Pager, White House correspondent for the New York Times, during a live broadcast with CNN anchor Dana Bash.

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